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Class Act: Oakstone Academy integrates autistic students with others

Oakstone Academy is the first of its kind for Florida. There's only one other school like it in the nation.

What makes this Lake Worth private school unique is that 40 percent of the children have autism, a developmental disorder that can affect social and communications skills.

Oakstone Academy aims to integrate autistic students with other students.

"What we're able to offer is a very small classroom with lots of adults who are engaged almost 100 percent of the time with students," explained Principal Liat Krits.

At Oakstone Academy, there are six teachers to every one student.

The students learn reading, writing and math. There is also a heavy focus on social skills.

"I have many parents of children with autism who tell me that for the first time their child has friends, their child is playing, their child is not sitting alone in a corner," said Krits.

Parent volunteers also play a big part at Oakstone Academy.

Drew McGeary is a regular. He said the social integration at Oakstone benefits not only his son, who has autism, but his daughter who doesn't.

"She's actually a lot more social, too," said McGeary, "She's shy in a big setting, so with the small classroom, she's a lot more open, a lot more happy and has a lot more friends."

Oakstone Academy is only in its second year and right now only has three classrooms. It serves pre-kindergarten through fourth grade. The school eventually plans to expand and go all the way through high school.

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